Brake mechanism



May 8, 1928.

R.D.STROU BRAKE MECHANI SM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed my 25, 1925 rMay s, 192s. 1,666,876 R. D. STROUP BRAKE MEGHANISM eats-Sheet 2 Filed July 25, 1923 5 Sh W 4 73 j 5 May 8. 1928.

R. D. STROUP- BRAKE MECHANISM Filed July 25, 1923 I5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented May 8, 1928.

UNITEDv STATES ATENT orrlcr.. i

aoBEIvr D. simon?, or lamination, WEsr'vInoIiiIA, AssIGNoR oF ONE-THIRD 'ro n, s NnLsoN, or LESLIE, 'WEST vInGINIa, No oNaTrIInD 'ro JOHN n LAING.

:or LEWIsBURe, WEST VIneINIA,

' 'BRAKE MEoIraNIsm..

appiiemonnlee `my p, i923. serial No. 653,761.

This invention relates to brake -mechanism and more particularly to such mechanism wherein the brake is positively `locked 1n operative position so that it cannot be released by chance or accident untilisnch release is desired by the engineer or other operator.

Attempts have been made in the `prior art to secure a' positively locked brake.` It has been sought primarily to Vinsure positive braking action topreventfor examplerunaway trains, due to failure of air pressure or for other reasons. It is obvious, for example that in fluid or electrically operated brakes, if at any time there is a failure of the fluid pressure or of the'electric current, the brakes Will cease functioning. Then too `when carsV are shifted from a train toA a siding, leakage of air Will gradually unset an air brake so that a car standing on a grade would soon run away. But the devices of the priorart referred to above, which have soughtto over: come `these diliiculties, were themselves so complicated and costly that they proved inoperative and impracticable. .One of the chief reasons for this was that` such prior art devices required double setsof mechanism:

' `one for locking the brakes, and the other for 'releasing them.` 'I'he changes thus required in such devices from the brakes infuse at `present made the change prohibitive.

One of the objects of this invention isto provide locking mechanism for a brake which Will be positive and under the control of the engineer orother operator at all times.

Another object of this invention is to provide such locking mechanism of simple and eflicientconstruction. w

A further object oiv this invention is to provide simple and eflicient releasing mechanism for the locked brake. y

A further object of this invention is to eliminate the use of retainers,

A still further object of this invention is to provide such mechanism so "that it may be applied to the brakes nowin use with a vminimum replacement and consequent scrapping of the old Working parts. y

Other and further objects and advantages of this invention will appear from the more detailed description set forth below by way of illustration, in connection with which description the dra-Wings show in'Figure 1, a plan view' of the brake operating mecl1a= nism; in Figure 2, aside elevation of this device; in Figure, an end view of the device; inv Iligure 4, a vertical sectional view ,throughthe center of the mechanism in Figure 5, a` detail partly in section of the releasing andlocking pavvls, after initial operation; in Figure 6, a detail partly in section orI4 the releasing pavvl in operative position; in Figure 7, a detail partly in section of the holding bar, tripping arm, and piston; in Figure 8, the brake mechanism in `operativeposition; andin Figure 9a modilication of the device; Figure'10,`a modification of the holding bar.

\ But it will be understood that this description and drawings are to be taken as illustrative only, and not by Way of limitation, since various changes and modifications may be made 'in the devices illustrated and described, by those skilled in the artl to which it appertains, Without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention.

In .general itvvill be seen that this inventioncomprises exceedingly simple means for positively locking" and releasing brakes which may be applied to brakes of all kindsl Whether operated manually, electrically, or by fluid" pressure, for example air, steam, etc.

For purposes of illustration however the dei l vice is shown in luse with air pressure brakes.

l `In its fundamental aspect the invention sets` forth means operated by the existing air brake cylinder to lock the brake in operative position after it has been s et, and means for releasing the locking mechanism also operated by the samefcylinder. As a result itis possible to make use ofpractically the presits usual course of' operation; "This bar is then locked by the locking means, be-subsequently released j by the releasing means. l` It is immaterialfor the purposes of i thepresent invention Whether the holding baris `,operated by Huid pressure, electrically,

orotherwise. Its application to anyofthese brakeswill be obvious from the detailed deseription.v

i erated Abythe brake operating mechanism `and may lll vbrake action shall commence.

- ends.

carries a small cylindrical chamber,v

through the opening of which the piston rod Bextends.- .Upoirthis chamber 5 .there are two strips 7,37 which act to form a channel 8 in which the holding bar 10 reciprocates. The holding bar 10 carries a rack 11V on 'its upper face which extends from the inner end of the bar for about half of its length although this exact distance is governed by .other considerations, for example by the requirements `of the I. C. C. lwho require av certain minimum distance of operation before At 4the point where the rack ends, the upper face of the holding bar is preferably beveled as shown at 12, up to the face 13 of the bar 10. On its outer end 14, Athe bar 10 carries a depending ear 15 provided with an aperture or opening 16 through which opening the brake rod link 20 passes to the brake rod, and serves Vto transmitthe motion from the piston rod to the brake rod, whereby the brake is open ated. Due to the bifurcated ear 22 of the link, by means of which it is connected to the brake rod, when the bar 10 occupies the dotted position shown in Figure 2, the link cannot move inwardly, but its movement in thatdirection is obviously limited by the ear 15, On one side of the bar .10 there is foi-med. a groove 19 which at its outer` end ,2O is beveled to the side of bar.

This groove is made to receive the releasing pawl described below. At the inner end of the 'bar 10, it is cut away in from the side 21 across the groove 19.

Caps or blocks and 31 serve to close the channel 8 partially, and also coact with strips 7, 7 to form a seat for the housing 32. This housing comprises an upright member 33 cut away to form a channel 34 within t-lie arms 35, 35 of the member 33. This housing is adapted to seat on the exposed por-- tions of the strips 7, 7, between the caps or 'blocks 30 and 31. so that the Vchannel is closed thruout its length, but is open on both The lower end is thus open to the bar 10, while the upper end of the channel 34 receives the locking pawl.

V'This locking pawl 40 is cut away as at 41 to forni an opening for purposes described below. v4The pawlis beveled at its lower end 42 so that it can coact with the teeth of the rack bar 10. At one side of the pawl, a longitudinal channel 43 is cut to receive a releasing pawl 50.

The releasing pawl is pivoted at 5l for transverse movement in the channel 43, the arm adjacent this pawl being cut away as at 36 to allow such movement. The pawl 50 has its lower end extended beyond the 0beveled edge ofthe locking pawl 40, to form the, housing. `The arms 70, 70 extend over the cap orV block 31,and are cut away as 'shown at72,j72'to form a bearing for the rocking arin 7 3. This arm 73 carries a lug 74 rigidly lattached thereto as at 75. The lug extends within the opening 41 adjacent to the upper part thereof, so that when the `rocking arm is rocked counterclockwise on its bearings, the lugserves to raise the locking pawlin the channel 34.l lIn order to retain the locking pawl in contact with the teeth of the holding bar 10,` a block 44, held in place in any desired way, is reposed against the action of a spring 45, all within the opening 'or passageway 41. The spring 45, acting between this block and the 'lower edge of the opening i or passageway 41,

serves to 'press .the locking, pawl down againstthe teeth `of the,bai,10. The spring 45 may be retained'infproper position by means of Aany Vordinary securing devices, such as lugv 46 in the block and recess 47 in the lockingpawl.

` The end of the rocking arm 7 3 is square-v shouldered toA receive arigidly connected arm77 which ,carries a dogv 7S pivoted for Vfree clockwise movement only to arm 77 as at 7S). It movedcountercloekwise it movestlie arm 77.

Further there isalso attached to the pistou 2, a trip rod 80, formed at its outer end withr an ear 81, which is designed to ride against the dog 78,1wl1en the pistouis operated so that the movement of the piston carries the ear against the dog, trips the latter, which in turn causes, the rocking arm ,to inove and actuate the locking pawl.

W'hen the device has' been assembled with the parts related Vas described above, it is ready for use and operates as vfollows. their they engineer applies` the brake, theI .piston rod moves outwardly, and by means .of the brake rod the brakes are brought into operative position.- ,At the same time, theV piston moves against-the inner end ofthe bar 10, carrying it out until, when the movementhas been su'icient, the teeth of this rack engage the pawl 40, which then locks the'rack, and consequently the brake rod in the braking position. Now at this time regardless of what happens either in the air line or within the cylinder, the brake rod Inh lll)

`Leersum:

is positively lockedgin position, so that the brakes lcannot bereleased until the engineer under whose control the entire mechanism is placed, desires to do so. In this way'it will be seen, that altlioughtheair pressure inthe line may` vary,or decrease due to leakage, the` brakes are positively lockedso that the train cannot move until desired. In this connection, attention is called to the fact that under I. C. Unspecications, the brake rod, or piston rod,l must move a minimum distance (about three 'and onehalt (3%)) inches for leakage'groove, before the brake shall begin to operate. Advantage is taken of this fact in the present invention as set forth.` above. The rack bar is not toothed thruout its entire" length but is left untoothed in' that part of the rack bar that will ride under the locking pawl during the travel off the piston thruthe distance referred to above. Consequently at this time when the brakes-are" being set, the dog is tripped'by the ear on the slidingarm 80, but since the rack bar at this point is not toothed, thepawl immediately drops back to its normal position, asdoes the releasing pawl. When the brakes are thus once set and locked as described above, the piston and piston rod may return to normal position and do so, under the action of the spring, described above, the ear on the sliding arm `riding under the dog without tripping it in this reverse movement, that is without reciprocating the racking arm due to the pivoted connection between the arm' and the dog.

When however, it is desired to release the brakes and allow them t0 cease their braking action, the engineer once more applies the brake but only suliiciently to move the piston a small distance namely until the sliding arm thru its ear, trips the dog. In other words, regardless ofthe pressure that has been used to set the brakes, a minimum pressure only (1-2 lbs.) is required to release them. In this way a remarkable saving of air is obtained. At this time, the locking pawl is raised as described above. The releasing pawl is thus raised until it rests on the groove 19 and due to thespring 54, it is maintained on this groove. In this position, the releasing pawl, prevents the locking pawl from dropping into rcontact with the holding. The locking pawl thus being held out of operative position the bar is free to move inwardly until it once more contacts with the piston, when it is in nor- .mal position and remains there. At' the same time that the bar is travelling inwardly, the releasing pawl rides on the groove 19, until it reaches the beveled edge of this groove and the side face of the rack bar. As this point is reached and on Jfurthe-r movement of the rack bar, thereleasing p awl is gradually urged off of the groove untll 1t drops beside the rack bar to its inoperative position. VVllen this has happened,ithe parts are all restoredi to normalf position, and t-lle end, a chain or equivalent device 8,0", which is adapted to be wound up or pulled over by the verticalhand brake stall' or equivalent stall" SI', similar to that now inuse for hand brakes. It is obvious that when the element 80l is pulled over or wound upby operation of hand` wheel or equivalent element 83, the rocking arm 73 will be oper# ated to release the'locking` pawl so that the brake rod may return to itsnormal position under the action el" the spring:

A modification ol'A the air cylinder piston is shown in `Figure 9. In this modification the holdingbar'l() is formedintegrally with the sleeve 90, within whichsleeve the piston -rod operates. Thel springt 9 1 which serves to return the piston to normal pos1-V tion surrounds all the parts, while the spring 92 for returning the holding bar to normal posit-ion is preferably within the sleeve and about the piston rod. y

It is possible in some uses of this inven` tion to eliminate the releasing pawl from this mechanism, and to use the device without it. This elimination of the releasing. pawl allows one to drop from a higher to a lower pressure without first going through the releasing operation. This result is possible for the following reasons. Then the brakes have been set and locked, the piston and the trip rod will return to their normal position. As soon now as it is desired to lower the pressure in use, the engineer will start to operate the brakes. When lthe ear of the trip rod trips the dog and consequently rocks the rocking arm, the locking pawl will be raised above the rack and release the bar. The bar will then return towards its inner position. At the same time, the brakes will throw the push rod etc. back so that they tend to resume their,` normal position. This happenslalmost instantaneously. On passing the point now where the dog is tripped, the further application of the pressure enables the engineer to set the brakes at the desired position.

Having thus set claim:

1. In brake mechanism, a holding bar, locking means operated by said holding bar to lock the latter i-n operative position, and releasing means to release said locking means.

forth' my` invention, I

Q .In brake mechanism, a reciprocating initial movement, and means for releasing the holding bar on further movement thereof.

3. In brake mechanism, a fluid pressure cylinder, a reciprocable piston Within said cylinder operating under said fluid pressure, a holding bar operated by said piston, means for locking said holding bar upon movement of said piston, and means 'for releasing said locking means upon further operation of said piston.

4. In bake mechanism, a holding bar, means for causing movement of said har, means forlockingsaid bar after such movement, and means for releasing said locking means,'the releasing means being operated by the means for causing movement of the holding bar.

5. In brake mechanism, a Huid pressure cylinder, a piston within said cylinder' operating under said fluid pressure, a hralie rod operated by said piston, means for locking said brake rod in operative position upon reciprocat-ion of said piston, and means for releasing said locking means upon further reciprocation of said piston.

6. In brake mechanism, a holding bar provided With a rack, a pawl engaging said rack, to lock the bar against movement in one direction, and means including a releasing pawl for releasing said locking pawl.

7. In brake mechanism, a holding bar provided with a rack, a pawl engaging said rack to lock said har against movement in one direction, a groove in said bar, a releasing pawl carried by said locking paWl and adapted to ride in the groove aforesaid and to keep the locking Vpawl froml operative engagement with the said rack.

8. In brake mechanism, a holding bar provided with a rack, a pawl engagingsaid rack to lock said bar against movement in one direction, a groove in said bar, a releasing pawl carried by said locking pawland adapted to ride in the groove aforesaid and to keep the locking pawl from operative engagement with the said rack, and means for removing said releasinnV paWl out of said groove so that the loc ing pawl may reengage said rack.

ROBERT D.` sTRoUP. 

